Players And Pawns
by WinterStormz
Summary: Hermione’s announcement rocks the Trio’s friendship, separating them for close to a decade. Just when each has life settled, circumstances draw the Hogwarts’ alumni back to their old stomping grounds, where they not only face their past but question
1. Default Chapter

**Players And Pawns**

Chapter One

(December 21, 2001)

"Dearly Beloved. We are gathered here today, to join this man, and this woman, in holy matrimony..."

With an irritated gleam in his emerald eyes, Harry Potter clenched his fists, his jaw tightened. He knew why they were there. He didn't need, nor want to be reminded. In fact, he didn't want to be there at all. The priest's words faded into the background as he took in the spectacle that surrounded him. Hundreds had shown up, mostly family, many friends, a few of their old Hogwarts teachers, and even some media. He wasn't surprised; he hadn't expected anything less, not from a Malfoy.

The great hall of the Malfoy Mansion had been decorated to perfection, with a little help from a wand or two. With all the magic that would be happening that night, only the most trusted of Hermione's Muggle family and friends had been invited. Even so, Harry was sure they would be subjected to a light memory charm, just to be safe. The hall was enchanted to resemble the beautiful landscape outside, minus the chilly weather. The ceiling reflected the velvety deep blue sky, blanketed with clouds, providing a slow drizzle of snowflakes that disappeared just inches away from the guests and wedding party. The walls were lined with snow-covered trees, whose branches held candles in various spots. The same candles lined the aisle the bride had walked down, the pristine snow now stained with deep red rose petals. The same scarlet roses were a vital part of many of the floral arrangements in the hall, as well as the bouquet the bride now held at the front of the hall.

He had never seen her look as beautiful as she did now. She was not the same eleven-year-old know-it-all he'd met on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. Her signature bushy chestnut hair had gradually calmed into sleek waves through the years. They had had been pulled up and away from her lightly made up face, a few cascading from the crown of curls fixed atop her head. Although she was still the shortest of the three of them, she had gotten a little taller, the years matured her face and form, which was now draped in a dress of satin that was a white so pure, it was almost hard to look at. An intricate design made of silver thread decorated the bodice and went down the back of her skirt, beaded with small rubies and diamonds, which were echoed in her jewelry. She was completely breathtaking. Yet, the most beautiful thing to him was her smile. It was crooked but it was the essence of who she was. She smiled from her soul; it was so genuine that it reached her eyes; the warm, sparkling eyes that helped him through so much of his adolescence, and now, that smile, was directed at another. It was directed at Draco Malfoy and that thought made him sick to his stomach. But then again, he never did have a good feeling about this...

*** FLASHBACK ***

**_David and Emily Granger_**

**_And _**

**_Narcissa Malfoy_**

**_Invite You To Share Their Joy At The Marriage Ceremony_**

**_Uniting Their Children_**

**_Hermione Granger _**

**_&_**

**_Draco Malfoy_**

**_The Magical Event Will Take Place On _**

**_Friday, The Twenty-First of December_**

**_Two Thousand And One_**

"What in the bloody hell is this?" Ron was the first to speak, holding the invitation with two fingers as if it had the plague. "Some kind of joke?" Hermione paled and looked down at her shoes. Harry stood as if he'd been petrified; praying she would tell him it was a joke, a sick, sick joke.

"It's my wedding invitation." Her eyes stayed fixed on her shoes as if they were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. "My parents were going to mail them to you, but seeing as how we see each other for lunch every week, I told them I would give them to you myself. Besides, you two are my best friends and it wouldn't do for you to get them by owl or in the mail. I mean, I didn't even think they were necessary, it's not as if I couldn't have just told the two of you. It's a formality really, the proper thing to do. I'm not even sure that I like them but my Mum said they would coordinate with the rest of the wedding." She babbled, speaking so fast that it sounded like one word.

"Wedding..." Harry whispered under his breath, re-reading his invitation. A picture of Hermione and Draco Malfoy alternated between waving at him and staring at each other lovingly. He closed the invitation roughly; he didn't need to see that.

"To Malfoy! You're going to marry that wanker _Malfoy_?" Ron's face was becoming as red as his hair, his temper flaring up.

"Married... To Malfoy." Harry was still quietly speaking to himself, almost completely unaware of Ron waiving the offending papers in front of Hermione, who was currently fighting back tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"Ron..." She swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I know you and Draco don't get along, but..."

"Don't get along? _Don't get along! _There couldn't be a bigger understatement. That ass made it one of his personal goals to make my," he paused to correct himself, "_our_ lives hell at Hogwarts. It would do you well to remember he wasn't always spouting sonnets at you. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I can remember him calling you a..."

"Ron!" Harry managed to find his voice before his friend crossed that line. No one needed to be reminded of that.

"We're not in Hogwarts anymore, Ron. Things aren't the same as they were back then. We're not the same kids we were then, you can't expect Draco to be."

"Draco! Draco, is it?"

"'Mione, what I think Ron is trying to say is..."

"I know what I'm trying to say Harry!" Ron snapped. "But since you think she needs some clarification, _I'll_ give it to her." He turned back to Hermione and took a deep breath. "Look, when you wanted us to give Malfoy a chance, I humored you. When you wanted to date Malfoy, I didn't like it, but I dealt it. I put up with him thinking it was just a passing fancy, the bad boy appeal. I thought you were too smart to be fooled by him. But I was apparently wrong. I've had to help pick up the pieces he tore you into too many times, and I'm not going to watch you willingly subject yourself to the pain. I don't like or accept the idea of you marrying him and I won't be there to watch it." With one swift movement, Ron ripped his invitation in half, and turning on his heel, he let the two pieces drift to the floor in front of his two best friends.

The tears that had been waiting in the wings of Hermione's eyes had finally fallen, and now trailed down her rosy cheeks in two streams. For a moment, she seemed to have returned to being a little girl. Instinct drew Harry to her, holding her firmly in his arms as she shook, tears racking her frame. He was torn in two. Like Ron, he wanted nothing more than to tell her she was wrong in her decision, that Malfoy was Malfoy, no matter what had changed in the world around them or how many years had passed. That this wedding was a mistake he didn't want to have to witness, that the thought of it made him ill. But, there she was, in his arms, weeping into his neck, and he couldn't bear to cause her more pain by deserting her.

He led her into the Three Broomsticks Pub, where they had planned to have lunch. He waved to Madame Rosmerta, the woman who had been serving them since their first visit their third year. She nodded her acknowledgement as he brought Hermione to a small booth in the corner of the pub. Two cool mugs of butterbeer were soon in front of them. Hermione slowly got a hold of herself, looking up at Harry with wet eyes. Time had changed him very little, despite all the hardships they had experienced growing up. Seven years of fighting the most powerful evil the Wizarding world has known takes a lot out of a person, but he was no worse for the wear. Now twenty-one years old, Harry looked very much the same. He had grown into his lanky frame, standing well over six feet with a sturdy build. His face had matured, his features more defined, but two things remained the same; the tell-tale scar on his forehead, partially hidden by his shaggy ebony hair, and his expressive forest green eyes, shielded by glasses, refusing to wear the contacts he had, stating the thought of touching his eye was just too gross. Yet he had no problem stabbing a basilisk through the head. She'd never understand boys. At least he had changed the frames.

"Knut for your thoughts," Harry offered, knowing the wheels in her head were turning full speed. She looked into her butterbeer quickly, hoping she hadn't been too obvious in her staring.

"It's just..." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "It's just, I don't see why Ron has had such a fit about all of this. You have both known Draco and I have been dating. It hasn't been a secret. It's been over three years in fact. It's only natural we take the next step."

"_Step?_ You call this a step? You are twenty years old and you are handing out wedding invitations." Harry's voice came out louder than he had intended. Spotting the heads that turned, he brought his voice down a few notches. "This is not a 'step'," he hissed. "This is marriage, as in the rest of your life. Life with _Malfoy_!"

"Draco!" Hermione snapped, her cheeks beginning to redden with aggravation.

"Draco, then," Harry corrected himself. "Besides, there's usually a step before marriage. A little something called an engagement." Hermione was silent but fuming as her friend scolded her. "Did it ever dawn on you that it would have been nice to give Ron and I a better warning than your _wedding invitation_? It's like telling us you're having a baby during its first birthday party." He could almost see the steam coming out of her ears, so he tried his best to save a little face. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Ron is angry, I'm sorry I'm yelling, and I'm sorry we've disappointed you by not immediately running out to buy you a toaster or some equally lame gift but this has caught us off guard, and the idea of you getting married is a bit much for us to take in right now! Especially considering the groom isn't exactly our pick for Wizard of the Year!" His heart got the best of him, and his apology didn't come off as well as it should have.

"Look!" She stood up, hands flat on the table, staring directly at Harry, fire in her eyes. "Despite what you may think, I didn't come here to ask for your approval. I don't want or need it. Hell, I didn't come here in the hopes that you'd all welcome Draco into the group, but what I did expect was my two best friends to be happy for me. I'm sorry if that was too much to expect from the two of you, but the fact of the matter is, I am marrying Draco with or without you two, because, contrary to your belief, my life _isn't_ based around the two of you." Her face was now a deep crimson; she sat down hard in her seat and took a large gulp of her butterbeer. Harry sat back, a little shocked at her outburst. He'd never seen her so angry, not with him anyhow. They sat quietly listening to the movements around them, trying to ignore the inquisitive stares directed their way.

"I didn't mean to snap, it's just..."

"I know." More quiet sipping. As time passed, the red of Hermione's face softened.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"I don't know... I tried to, really I did. I felt horrible not telling the two of you. I mean, it was one of the happiest days I've experienced and I couldn't share it with the two people who meant the most to me. I wanted to, I just...couldn't." She gave a deep sigh, not knowing how to explain it. She reached into the bag she had draped over her shoulder. After some searching, she took out a small black velvet bag, emptying its contents into her hand, which she then held out to Harry. In her palm rested what he assumed to be her engagement ring. The sight of it placed a lump in his throat. Somehow, seeing it made it all real.

"How long?" he croaked, his throat much drier than expected. He took in the last drops of his butterbeer, which didn't help as he hoped.

"A little over six months," she said quietly, fiddling with the ring, twisting it around her finger, over and over again, the light occasionally caught the stone, causing a sharp sparkle to hit Harry in the eye. She couldn't stand the silence, it was deafening. "What are you thinking?"

Harry looked up at his friend. Her face was still a little pink from the argument, her lashes stuck together by the moisture from her tears, but through it all, she seemed happy, finally being able to tell them had taken a big load off of her shoulders. As unbelievable as it seemed, Malfoy made her happy.

"I'm not that damn thing," He replied, breaking their gaze to look at the ring one last time. He gave her a weak smile. "I'm just basking in the knowledge that things will never be the same again."

*** END FLASHBACK ***

They hadn't been the same. Their weekly lunches had stopped. On the off chance that they ended up in the same place, there was little to no communication between Ron and Hermione. They were both too stubborn. In the end, Ron was true to his word. He hadn't shown up, although, not completely cruel, he had sent her a gift with Pigwidgeon.

So Harry sat alone, watching Hermione give her life to the man who was once their sworn enemy. Although he was there, he couldn't believe it was happening, it was as surreal as any nightmare. He hated Malfoy, but more importantly, Malfoy didn't deserve her. He should have told her what he really felt when they were in Hogsmeade. Maybe then, this wouldn't be happening. But instead, he sat there watching, allowing it to happen, when what he really wanted to do was...

"YOU CAN'T MARRY HIM!"


	2. Chapter Two

Players And Pawns

CHAPTER TWO

It had come out before Harry knew it. It was meant to stay in his head, but he'd managed to share it with the entire room.  He could almost hear the heads of the wedding guests snap, turning to see who had dared to disrupt the wedding. 

"Excuse me?  Who said that?"  The priest looked over the crowd.  

Harry had faced Lord Voldemort numerous times, gone through several years of potions class with Professor Snape, and watched the ground come at him when he'd fallen off his broom at breakneck speed while playing Quidditch, but this was without a doubt, the scariest moment of his twenty-one year existence.  

"That would be me."  He had the good grace to blush at what he had just done but stood tall.

"What in the _hell_ Potter?"  Draco Malfoy's polished voice rang through the church, laced with disgust.  Hermione stood beside him, her face registered pure confusion.  The Maid of Honor reached down to pick up the bouquet she had dropped, while Malfoy's old housemates, Crabbe and Goyle eyed him menacingly, cracking their knuckles.  In the front row, Hermione's father fanned her mother, trying to wake her from her swoon.

"We…We're not at that p..point of the ceremony yet son."  The old priest stuttered, not sure of what to make of the situation.  There were a few uncomfortable laughs scattered through the hall that echoed hollowly.   Rogue flashes went off in all different points of the hall.  This would be all over the Daily Prophet the next day.  He could see it now:

**HARRY POTTER: THE BOY WHO LIVED… TO STOP A WEDDING**

**HARRY HAULTS MALFOY MARRIAGE**

"Harry?"  Hermione's small voice cut through the silence.  He looked at her standing at the altar, her doe brown eyes asking questions she couldn't ask out loud.  She looked so beautiful, yet so hurt at the same time.  He had hurt her.  Where was the invisibility cloak when he really needed it?  He wanted nothing more than to disappear.

So he did.

He ran as if his life depended on it, trying to ignore the flashes going off in front of him.

**HARRY RUNS FROM HUMILIATION**

**POTTER LOSES HIS NERVE**

Snow crunched under his feet as rose petals were crushed and candles went out.  The aisle was only a few feet in length, but it seemed like miles to Harry.  

He couldn't get out fast enough.  

With each step it was getting harder for him to breathe.  Hermione's questioning eyes and Malfoy's angry stare.  He could hear the gasping crowd, see the surprised priest.  The entire scene replayed in his head until he felt the sharp pain of the crisp air burn his lungs as he inhaled.  He fell to his knees, hiding his face in his hands.  He had just ruined his best friend's wedding.

*****

Hermione went through the rest of the ceremony robotically, not fully able to get a hold of herself.  What had he just done?  Where was he now?  What was she supposed to do?  Should she go to him?  She could faintly hear Draco's voice in the background of her thoughts and feel a ring getting slipped on her finger.

"Hermione."  The priest nodded in her direction, handing her a ring.  Her eyes went from Draco to the ring and back to Draco.  He would be her husband once this ring went on.  Years ago, she would never have expected this to happen, but here she was marrying Draco Malfoy.  

Harry and Ron were wrong about him.  He wasn't the obnoxious prat they'd grown up with in Hogwarts; he even looked a bit different.  He towered over her by a few inches, the awkward, skinny body he once had, had filled out, leaving a lean frame of muscle.  His silvery blonde hair had been cut shorter, spiked rather than slicked back.  He said it was to keep up with times, although others said it was to keep from resembling his father.  His facial features weren't as angular as they once were, making him look a bit softer… kinder, even.  Which he was.  The fact that he didn't sneer as much helped a lot more than he realized.  His smoky gray eyes looked at her with love.  And he did love her.  

Yes, she could do worse than Draco Malfoy…

But could she do better?

"I, Hermione Granger, take you, Draco Malfoy, as my husband."  Her words were shaky as she recited her vows.  "With this ring, I pledge my heart, my soul, and my love to you this day and for all the days of my life."  Her lip quivered, seeing a tear fall from Draco's eye.  This was it.  She was married.  

"I love you."  He mouthed as the priest addressed the crowd.

"I love you too."  

"I now pronounce you, man and wife… You may now kiss the bride."  Cheers and applause rippled through the crowd as Draco kissed her, dipping her in the heat of the moment.  "Ladies and Gentleman.  It is my great honor to present to you, Mr. And Mrs. Draco Malfoy!"  The cheers rang through the halls again.  The groomsmen and bridesmaids raised their wands, shooting out colorful sparks over the couple.

"Mrs. Malfoy."  Draco turned to her smiling, extending his arm towards her.

"Mr. Malfoy."  She linked her arm in his, standing on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips, before the two descended down the aisle.  

*****

It was a short trip to their reception.  A large tent had been erected in the back yard of the Malfoy compound.  The garden paths, now lit by candlelight, had been covered by red carpets to keep people from having to tread on the freshly fallen snow.  Hermione couldn't help but catch her breath when she entered.  The tent itself was as large as the hall the wedding had been held in, made of a white gauze material, allowing everyone a view of the night sky and surrounding Rose gardens.  From the center of the white canopy sprouted numerous strands of white Christmas lights that reached to every corner of the tent.  Half of the space had been set up with beautifully decorated round tables; covered in crimson cloths and large red and white floral arrangements, crystal goblets and platinum rimmed china.  A dance floor had been set up on the remaining half, a band of wizards waiting in the front as an enchanted harp played a soft tune.  Waiters lined a wall, waiting to serve the guests.  Behind them stood a table holding the six tiered wedding cake, along with two smaller versions on either side of it, to ensure there would be enough for all.  The three cakes towered over plates of various snack foods for the guests and at the ends of the tables rested silver fountains pouring out streams of red and white wine as well as sparkling cider. 

He watched her as she took in her surroundings; her eyes sparkling with excitement, like a child on Christmas morning.  He never would have guessed that this is where he'd be.  Ten years ago, he didn't see fit to talk to this girl, now, years later, after all the foul names and dirty looks; he loved her more than life itself. They were married.  She was his.  

But, then there was Potter.

They only put up with each other for her sake, putting aside the snide remarks and dirty looks in her presence.  She wanted so badly for them to get along.  Although they weren't friends and it was likely that they never would be, he never expected this.  When the other one hated him so much he didn't show up, he thought that as bad as it could get.  Hadn't Potter gotten enough attention in his life without interrupting his wedding?  Did he hate him so much that he would go so far as to try and stop his wedding?  Even if it hurt Hermione?

Hermione Malfoy.  His wife.  _His_.

"Draco, come on.  If we don't go in, no one will be able to eat."  She tugged at his arm, breaking his train of thought.  Looking in, he could see their guests had streamed in and were now seated.

"Well, lets not keep everyone waiting." He raised his arm and the band began to play, the front man stepping up to the mike.

"Ladies and Gentleman… THE MALFOYS!"  An arch over the entrance of the tent lit up with hundreds of small white lights and again, the crowd cheered as the couple entered, pausing for a quick kiss.

"Eat, drink, and party!"  Draco called out; the waiters began to disperse themselves among the crowd, as he led Hermione to their spot at the head of the wedding party's table.  He pulled out her chair as she maneuvered her dress to sit.  Sitting, she smiled up at him, and he laid a soft kiss on her nose, standing back he took a few seconds to stare at her.  Hermione Malfoy.  His beautiful wife, now and forever.

But there was Potter… 

. 

Extra A/N: I know this was short and pretty uneventful, so I'll get chapter three up soon for you.


End file.
